A Cultural Connection with the Bahamas By Ali Berger
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EACH PRESENTATION OFFERED NEW APPRECIATION OF ART...
Other talks of the week included: “Exhibiting to the World” by Ferdinand and Keith Tomlin from the TOROSIETE Museum of Contemporary Art, and “Life is not for Beginners, With Art – You Never Walk Alone,” by Katti Hoflin. Each presentation offered new appreciation of art and reinforced the importance of continuing the conversation around creative expression.
One of the memorable stops on this year’s Art Fair on the Water was Bahamas Haus, an Intracoastal mansion featuring artworks by Bahamian artists that was part of the fair’s initiative to raise awareness of the necessity of investing in art to enhance local communities. The theme of the exhibit was ‘Resiliency of the Bahamian Spirit,” and it provided an opportunity to spotlight the vast devastation brought about by last year’s Hurricane Dorian. Ten percent of the exhibit’s sales proceeds were donated to rebuilding The Grand Bahama Children’s Home. Curator Jennifer Nayak explained one important goal was providing “collectors with little treasures they wouldn’t find unless they had their own local guide to work created in the Bahamas.” “Creating long-term interest for investment pieces, promoting cultural tourism between both coasts, there’s more than one reason to love the Bahamas.” Cultural tourism promotes an interest in experiencing the full flavor of a place, from learning about the people to resonating with their forms of creativity. In this way, Bahamas Haus enlightened patrons by offering an immersive experience that demonstrated the power of hope.
As the famous painter Edgar Degas once said, “Art is not what you see, but what you make others see.” Since sight is not limited to mere visual perception, but also expands deep into the conscious mind, hearing discourse on thought-provoking topics increases awareness and deepens the conversation, connecting us to each other and our community in a profound way.
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CREATIVE + CONSCIOUS CULTURE
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